


Starved

by Megxolotl, StarfallGalaxy



Category: Invader Zim
Genre: Gen, Zim gets adopted, and hugged
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-21
Updated: 2020-05-21
Packaged: 2021-03-02 23:47:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,085
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24305386
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Megxolotl/pseuds/Megxolotl, https://archiveofourown.org/users/StarfallGalaxy/pseuds/StarfallGalaxy
Summary: “Oh…” A small tap of a cane against his boot. “Pardon me.”He knew that voice. It was the sound of that old lady with the treats! The nice Old Tallest!
Comments: 30
Kudos: 78





	Starved

Zim wondered what he’d done wrong this time.

He glared at the mocking plates in front of the two seats before him, the non-greasy and steaming hot veggie burgers on them smelling good even from his spot at the end of the table. Back in Invader academy, snacks were taken away from him often, the sugary confectionery like doughnuts that so many Irkens longed to taste only reserved for the most obedient and Tall smeets. And Zim was neither of those. He’d often have to break into the snack closet in training or go to one of his secret stashes if he wanted to live or sleep with a full belly.

And it seemed like Earth, even in his newfound friend Nana’s house, was no different.

But it was fine. It was fine, because he had gotten bigger and smarter and now he knew how to hoard food the correct way. He’d stolen and hidden so many non-perishables in his base now that he’d practically become a master! (Even if GIR had found some of the more obvious places.) So he’d be fine. He’d prepared for this, taking precautionary actions even while he’d felt himself slipping into too comfortable of a demeanor with her. Nana was ridiculously easy to steal from, even for a blind woman. She’d never noticed him sneaking the chocolate bars and little packs of chips from the pantry; Zim was good at picking up when the guards were suspicious about such things. He’d even been bold enough to sneak some canned goods, mostly carrots (and some beans, just to throw her off his trail) , because he knew neither adult was particularly fond of canned carrots and their stash was just for recipes.

He felt a bit bad about it, but then again he felt sorta bad about kicking GIR sometimes, too, so he was no stranger to guilt. It didn’t matter. It kept him alive.

So he was fine.

Yet he couldn’t think of a single thing he’d blown up or broke today or in the last couple weeks. He was passing skool, he’d kept GIR away from her like he thought he should (the little thing was too friendly for his own good), he’d done everything he could to be good. He wondered if Nana would tell him what he’d done wrong or at least tell Zim how long it would last; it would be a lot easier when he knew how long it was gonna last. Or maybe she wouldn’t and he’d have to guess. Irk, he hoped not. Guessing what he did wrong was annoying. And guessing wrong… He shook his head to dispel the thought. The tiny Irken huffed, his long lekku flattening against his skull as she worked preparing the carrots. What had he done wrong? This week had been surprisingly normal, he hadn't even hit Dib or caused a time rift. He shifted. There was an odd discomfort in his spooch. He thought he’d been being good. So good that he deserved praise, even!

“Zim, would you like something to drink?” Nana called over her shoulder, her dark eyes focused on him despite being sightless. 

“Eh…” Was this a trick? If it was, he should refuse, right? Yes, that would be a good idea. “No. No soda for Zim.”

He wondered if he’d made the right choice. Her mouth pulled down to a frown. “Alright…” Nana said, letting Zim let out a sigh of relief. She just sounded like she was confused because he had slipped back into his third person speech again. 

He hadn’t done that since he had been twelve in human years. 

Her cup of tea was almost as steaming as the burgers, set down on the pink plate today. Zim was confused. Usually she waited until Rankle, her husband and his new commander at his ‘job’, was home for tea. Then she went back and actually set the plates, looking puzzled when she couldn’t find one in front of Zim, making _him_ even more puzzled. Why was she doing that?

“Aren’t you going to wait for Sir?” Zim said, glancing at the clock that said he wouldn’t get home for at least another half hour.

“Oh...he’s working overnight again.” Nana said, touching the plate that Zim had sneakily dragged over to her fingers. “Remember?”

Zim felt like he’d just gotten a whiplash from his Voot suddenly stopping in the middle of Earth traffic. Right, he had been informed of that. Shit. Right. “Okay,” He replied, his voice shakier than he intended. His PAK heated up at his back, scrambling to get his thought process back on track.

Dammit, he’d been quiet too long and she was already at her seat, turned to his direction. He felt those sightless orbs on him. “So...dinner?”

“Ehhhh...yes!” Zim chirped, smiling fakely. He was trying to remember his training. Show no fear. Show no weakness. Grin and bear it. 

She sipped her tea, smiling at him before going at her burger with a fork and a knife. Zim played with his dress, straightening his skirt over his thighs. There was no reason to be worried now, was there? She still had no idea he was an alien, nothing was being taken away from him now, and it was no different from any other night. He still couldn’t help but glance at her face every few seconds to make sure she wasn’t angry at him. 

His PAK shot off more and more warning signs. This is a trick. This is a test. She’s going to be angry now.

_ She wasn’t angry to begin with. _

**_This is a trick._ **

He took a look at the plate of tea biscuits to snatch one as though Nana could see him. He winced when two others made an audible ‘tink’ onto the plate. 

He looked down at his full plate of food, wincing. Dammit, even if he wasn’t being punished he didn’t know how much his spooch could handle right now. 

He was. He was being allowed to eat. He needed to take the opportunity. 

He needed to calm down.

The small Irken reached out his claw to the spot he usually left his drink in, but found nothing instead. He grimaced. Now he really wanted a soda.

He slowly took his burger, taking a tiny mouthful before setting it down again. His muscles tensed to bolt when Nana suddenly turned, tilting her head at him.

“You’re acting stranger than usual, 어린이. Why?” Her voice was like velvet. 

“I-I’m not!” He protested, his lekku flatter than ever. “Zi-Zim is fine!”

She sighed. “You’re going to make me have to guess.” It wasn’t a question. Zim sucked his bottom lip into his mouth, his shoulders almost hitting his lekku. That phrase never meant anything good. He felt his legs lock, ready to bolt. 

“You were fine before dinner, dramatic and egocentric as always so it wasn’t that.” She mused, her tea resting between her hands, the sightless eyes staring at him openly. “Unless you had trouble at skool but you haven’t ranted to me for two hours yet so I highly doubt that that was it.” She tilted her head, sightless eyes thinking. “So, it is something about dinner. I know for a fact that you like this food and that if you had disliked it you would have protested. But you’re silent. So something has greatly upset you past anger.”  
“Y-you’re lying!” Zim interjected weakly. “My normal boy stomach hurts, that’s all!” (It was starting to, so technically it shouldn't count as a lie, right?) 

“You would have complained about that or not come here at all if that were the case. Or have told me when I asked. The interjection itself tells me you don’t want me to know the reason for your odd behavior and it isn’t that you are simply unable to articulate it. You are trying to distract me. Considering we have been in the same room this entire time and you have done nothing that could make you fear my ire, the only conclusion is that it is something I did or said to you.”

Zim simultaneously wished and was glad that Rankle wasn’t here. On one hand, the old man would have cut this off already. On the other, he would’ve been grilled much more harshly.

“The actions I have performed in the last twenty minutes,” Nana continued, “are cook food, inquire after your drink preference, bring the food and drinks to the table, serve myself food, and offer you food.” She thought for a moment. “You were already exhibiting uncharacteristic behavior when I took your drink order as you have never refused soda. Therefore, the catalyst was something that took place before that action. We had few interactions while I prepared dinner as you were still silent then. Thus, it likely stems from before that. The only different variable today was the number of plates, but that should not have been an issue because Rankle wasn’t-...hmm.” 

Zim wanted to say anything right now, to get up and leave, but his legs refused to move. He was glued to her eyes.

“But,” she continued, “you inquired after Rankle’s whereabouts which means you did not recall that he was not going to be here for dinner. Oh… I see.”

Zim shoved himself away from his seat at the table, running to the door. Yet he was impeded by a well-aimed walking stick hooked around his ankle. He fell back into a soft embrace, his lekku very low as he glanced up at his captor. 

She didn’t look angry…

“Is this why you hide food from me all of the time?” she asked softly.

Zim struggled, squeezing his eyes shut. “You lie! Zim does no such thing!”

“Zim, I have known you for two years. I may be blind but I do notice when food vanishes from me.” 

“...” Zim panted, looking for a way out. “I’m sorry! I’m sorry! Just lemme go!”

“I’m not angry at you. Just asking.” 

“But I _stole_ it.”

“No, you didn’t.”  
“Yes, I did. I’ve been stealing food since I got here!” Zim fessed up. Punishment sometimes hurt less when he admitted it. 

“You are welcome to any food in this house at any time.”

“But I didn’t earn it!” Zim sobbed, tiring from his struggles. “And you never gave me it!”

He felt the woman’s arms lock in place. That was it then, he was going to die here! He was going to die here and no one would know! They’d find him torn up and in the gutter with his PAK mounted on her wall! 

Nana’s voice sounded distant, muffled with cotton wool. “Zim! Zim, can you breathe for me?” 

Breathing when he was about to die sounded a bit counterproductive, but if she wanted him to… he owed her at least that. 

“That’s it, in and out. Again, in and out. Good.” 

Zim whimpered, he’d lost all feeling in his body. He hated when everything just turned off like this. He wished it would stop. 

“내새끼, are you alright?” He felt her hands on his head, making him panic more. His head covery wasn’t on and if she found out- “Shhh…”

Her long, creaky fingers ran down his lekku, letting their furry tips linger against the pads of her fingers. She sighed.

“Your antennae are longer this year. You’re getting so mature...and yet still a child,” She rested her head against his. “I bet anything you’re becoming a very pretty mantis, aren’t you? Small and graceful. I used to capture little mantises like you. They were pink.”

“I’m green.” He had seen mantises in the base's yard. They were graceful and deadly. Much like Irkens. _~~Unlike me.  
~~_

“You’re my baby grasshopper,” Nana kissed him on his head. “내 아기 메뚜기.”

Good, he completely redirected the conversation! Out the frying pan and into the fire, but he had survived explosions relatively unscathed before (the smell of cooking oil still made his head feel fuzzy and gray like a static screen.) 

“Now about the food…”

Or maybe not.

“I can give it back!” 

“No, all of my food is your food. And you don’t have to earn it or do anything to ‘deserve’ it. It’s _our_ food now.” Nana kissed his head again, leathery and soft. “Just like how you’re my grandson now.”

“Eh?”

“We want to adopt you. Officially.”

“EH?” Surely he had heard _that_ wrong. He knew vaguely how adoption worked...but why would a human accept him as their smeet? “I am not a smeet!”

“If that means child then, yes, you are.”

“Smeets require caretakers. Zim is _plenty_ capable of looking after himself! So I am clearly not a smeet.” His mismatched socked feet kicked in anger as his little body struggled in her grip. 

Zim had been capable of taking care of himself for a long time ago. After all, Irkens were born into this world alone and went out alone. They didn’t need it at all. For centuries they didn’t have parents or anything of the sort! He didn’t need hugs, blankets, playtime, treats, help or...or…

“I’m proud of you.”

Zim stopped completely at those words. For years, he had been waiting in the wings to hear those words spoken to him by the Almighty Tallest. That he had done something so amazingly amazing that they would just jump up and cradle him in their arms and tell him that they were proud, that they needed him and _oh what would we ever do without you Zim we missed you so much while you were on that fearsome planet Earth!_

“...but I haven’t conquered Earth yet…” Zim said almost robotically, his tiny claws fetching into her sleeves. 

“You don’t have to, I’m proud of how strong you are. How you’ve hung on so much and never once gave up. What I’m not proud of is that you had to do that much earlier in life than any child should. No child should know the loneliness you have before they’re even…” Her face screwed up, her sightless eyes planning something. “Zim, exactly _what_ age did you say your ‘parents’ left you to live alone?”

“Um…” Zim scanned his brain for all the lies he had told her. “It was...um...uh…” What age had he said? What age was appropriate? “Six?”

Nana’s face soured and he flinched.

“Zim...you never told me you were left alone. Much less when. You said your parents just worked all day and I just thought they were abandoning you in the house for most days but...to leave you alone to _live_! I had my suspicions but I never thought...is that _normal_ for your species?” Nana started to move, still cradling him in her arms. She was starting toward the phone… “I have to call Rosemary…”

“No! Please! Don’t send me off to the scientists! I’m human, I promise!” Zim shrieked, backpedaling until he got out of her grip and dashing under the table to hide. “I promise I’ll be good!”

Nana was half shocked at this behavior and yet half mystified. It was perfectly logical, she supposed, for a tiny space creature to be frightened of authority figures and the government. Yet it was amazing how _childlike_ such a proud little creature like Zim was. Especially one that came from such an ‘advanced species’. Honestly, what advanced species would abandon their child on what had to be, for them, the side of the road? Was this…

Was this the equivalent of drowning unwanted kittens in the river? Cruel and cold and done with no thought about the safety and little spark of joy each life could bring to another equally important life. No thought at all about all the little smiles they must be missing or his first steps or any sort of special mark of growth! Or any idea that they could pass that joy off to another, if they were incapable of taking care of him? Even nest parasites understood that! Didn’t aliens have abortions if they didn’t want kids? How long had Zim been alone on Earth?

...how long had this poor baby felt alone in the world? Heck, the universe…?

“Zim…” The old woman called, fearing using the walking stick lest she hurt the precious mantis. So she held her hands out, hoping to feel the now familiar feathery tips of antennae or the smooth skin of her ‘cat’. Or dog, whichever excuse he wanted to use to relax in her lap and purr. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have tricked you like that, dear, it’s just that I fear you getting hurt or sick without someone to watch out for you. Slab said he kept finding bruises on you and you told me all of those particulars about being harmed at skool and your home life...I'm so _worried_ about you-” She tripped, her hands flying out to catch herself before-

Zim’s tiny claws were as familiar to her as her house by now, the long claws harder and sharper than any human’s. Still, she reached her hands out to one of her favorite faces in the world. His skin was smooth to the touch, but not as tight as she thought such a thin little frame would suggest. His cheeks were soft, the cheekbones high with a cat’s oval eye shape, before sloping up to the rounded little head of her baby. He did not possess a nose but instead a smooth little bump that led to his mouth which possessed only a plush bottom lip over the pointy little chin connected to a strong jaw. She was sure he must be pretty; the color of spring air and shallow ponds, with those sharp cheekbones and large eyes. She knew he wore makeup, she could feel the graininess of eyeshadow and the wet trails over his cheeks that she was sure were tears. The mediciney, kacky smell of makeup came from her fingers when she pulled them back, rubbing her fingers together and feeling stickiness there.

“Your mascara is running,” She informed him, before holding her arms out to him. “Forgive me? I need a hug.”

Nana… wanted _him_ to forgive _her?_

His training sprung at the forefront of his mind with horror stories of cadets falling for it, racing to save some helpless thing and not noticing it was bait until they were trapped and stolen. He shook away the gray fuzz that threatened to settle on him whenever he thought about it, taking a small step backwards for safety. But if she wanted to hurt him she would already have done it, right? Those last months _couldn't_ just be a long con, right? He wanted to believe she was telling the truth. ~~_Everyone wants to hurt Zim…_~~

_ Not everyone.  _

At least it had been nice while it lasted. 

His legs brought him out from under the table almost of their own accord, right into Nana's arms. Her hands cupped around his PAK in an almost protective manner. 

"I'm sorry. Really." For everything. He braced himself for pain. _It will only be 10 minutes._

  
  


Her hands were the type that played piano in their youth. Long, careful fingers with deliberate movements in the hands as his head was patted, her smile reassuring. Could blind people play piano? He believed she could. Then of course...he believed Mrs. Chin-Sun Rankle could do anything.

His life clock had yet to start ticking down. 

"Can… Can I call home?" _Always demanding._

He wondered if this would be his final goodbye to GIR. Maybe he should tell him he was a good GIR...

Nana kissed him on his head, smiling, “Are you worried about your little brother?”

That smile was as reassuring as you could get, bright and kind with the dark jewel eyes of a mother wolf. He wondered if this was another phase of a plan. Was she going to kill him when his back was turned? Maybe it would hurt less if he wasn’t expecting it.

He extracted the communicator from his PAK as slow as he could, trying to avoid her hands. 

“C’mon…” After what felt like a small eternity, GIR’s face filled the screen.

“HIYA!” Zim sighed at the friendly aqua eyes, hoping that his death wouldn’t be something too graphic for the tiny ~~smeet~~ robot’s eyes. 

“GIR… be good, ok? Computer is in charge until I come back, listen to him.”

“Yessir!” The reassurance was accompanied by a derpy attempt to a salute. Zim had flashbacks to his own first salute to Miyuki...before...

“Thank you. ~~I love you.~~ “ Zim wished he had said those words more often. He always said them in his head but he never could manage to get his voice to work. 

“Aww, we luv you too!” 

“Yeah, yeah.” _Don’t cry. Invaders don’t cry._ “Goodbye GIR. Invader Zim, signing off.” _For the last time._

He turned to Nana, his eyes squeezed shut. But he’d said goodbye to his ~~smeet~~ robot. That was all he needed to do before termination. He’d served his purpose.He lifted up his chin, exposing his neck towards her...

“ I̴̧͚̾̈̿̊̓̐̾͗͠’̵͕͉̺̠̑͌̇͊͒̊̎͊͠m̸̢͙̘̪͉̪̦͑̿̃͑̈́̈̈́͛ ̸̲͗͆̔r̴̳̜͙̘͚̈́͛͒̑̕ȩ̷̠̞̣̠͖̭̺̣̎͌͂̄͝ą̵̻̮͇͚͎͔̟̋͂̿̊̽͑̿̚̚d̵̢̙͙̳͉͈͙̞̹̎̽̂y̷͙͉̖͊́̒̉̔͑̀ͅ.̷̖̄̔͐̓̈́̒̓ͅ ̴̧͈̖̋̈́̈̆D̵̠̈́͆̈́́͂̎̃͆̏o̶̼̦̤̯̟̓͘ ̵̧̨̻̭͍̦̮̝̖͑̈͘͝y̵̛̰̣̍̐̎̈́͊͝ỏ̴̱̦̹̻̪̹̗̳̍͆̀͆͝͝u̸̺͉͓͈̳̻͔̇͆̆ͅr̶̺̣̊̆̔̄͝ ̶͙͖̟͌̈̆̕͝ͅw̴͉̲͇̘̄͋͐̃̈́̾ȏ̸͙̯͈͈r̷̜̥͇͇̤̀̅̊s̶͍̹̮͇̮̺͍̝̫̆͆̒t̷̢̹͇̯̍͐̐̓͋̍̔̚.” His PAK was too hot...it was glitching his translator and PAK legs. He could feel them twitching in there, wanting to defend him. But she was a Tallest. He couldn’t disobey.

In an instant, she was upon him, her arms wrapped around his torso like one of those strangling snakes Miss Bitters reminded Dib of. He forced himself to stay slack in her grip. He could feel her shake, or maybe it was him. His PAK must’ve been burning her. 

Faintly his lekku registered something. Nana was crying, hugging him in a way that kept his arms pinned. He could feel her hands on his wrists, shielding the spot where the red button would appear when the mission was compromised. 

Zim’s eyes widened. Had she...had she thought he was going to terminate himself? He couldn’t really say he...hadn’t thought about it. Nor could he say he hadn’t attempted it. The Florpus was a suicide mission after all. But...no, GIR had dragged him out of that. Dib, too, albeit unintentionally or not he couldn’t be sure. 

...he’d never had a grown-up care before.

“Y̷̧̨̡̨̨̡̛̳͉̪͔̳̺̲̩̜̦͖͉̺̙̱̖̿̽̀̾̈́̔̒̄̈́͗̏̅̐̓͋̀̆̕͘̕ͅǫ̴̝̬̦̬̞̯̦̝̝̭͉̜̟̲̱̆̈́͗̐̔͊͑͘͜͝ù̶̡̞̻̯͔͙̜̬̰͍̳̘̥͓͓͌͂̇̅̏͐̕̕….ẙ̴̻̥o̸̢̧͍̺͚̼̭͕͇̬̙̞͎̿͑̃̅u̷̯̻̲̘̟̪̬͎̹̳̫̣̪̽̎͝ ̵̧̢̞̼̮̼̹̬̟̞͙̠͍̼͕̠̓͂͐͌̃̚ǎ̶̢̢͉̖̻̜̖̥̱̼̪̩͎̇̂̈́̆̓̓r̵̪̝̺̘̪̬̥̦͇̘̠̪̝̩̄̅̔͌̈́̾̽̽͘̕͝ẽ̶̝͖̲̬̎̒͋̃̇͋̽̚n̸̢̯͖̮͚̖̥͓̠̙͈̣͌̕͝ͅ'̸̗̗͖̗̼̣͔̱͔̮͓̐̍̇͛̓̕͜͝t̶͍̤͈̂̈͒̎͒̐̌̿͒̐̇͝...g̵̮̟̯͇̒͐̄̇ͅo̸̼̙͂̓i̶̡̧̞̞̬̇̋̅̈́n̶̬̞̋̋̄̊̍ǧ̸̯̜̦͊̑͐͊ ̷̜̹̏t̴̯͒̿͠͠ơ̴̧̳̑͑̈́...h̸̛̪̜͠ͅū̴̻r̴̨̆̔t̵̠͛...me?” Zim whispered, his PAK cooling down considerably.

“Oh, my little one, I could never, ever hurt you...I’ll go with whatever you decide. You don’t have to let me adopt you...I’ll take care of you anyway. I’m sorry if you felt like you had no way out…” He could hear her usually steady heartbeat pumping fast. It was...concerning. “You never have to choose between me or your brother…”

  
  


Zim remembered when he learned of typical family units in human culture. It was the day he first went to the grocery store by himself without GIR by his side. To achieve the mystical ‘choco-late’ that humans seemed to horde in droves there. He’d been stopped by the display of donuts.

That’s right, a _display_.

Not hidden from smallers or left on a high shelf where smeets couldn’t get their grubby little claws on it, but on low display shelves that _smeets were grabbing and making off with like bandits._

An Irken delicacy only for Tallests at _Zim’s height_.

Readily available. _To purchase for only one of his Earth monies._

**_Only one._ **

His mouth had started to water at the mere sight. He always wondered what one tasted like. He’d never been allowed to eat any on Irk…he watched as a smeet even smaller than him grabbed one, dashing to his Taller superior and started begging for one. Zim’s mouth had snapped shut. It seemed eating donuts in the presence of Tallests wasn’t as easy as he thought. Parents, something that human’s seemed to love to go on about at skool for a species that supposedly hated them, seemed to be in control of food here.

So what was a normal, human boy supposed to do alone in a store? Could he just take one? But he wasn’t a ‘parent’. As long as he had the monies he could afford it, he knew that just...was he allowed to?

“Oh…” A small tap of a cane against his boot. “Pardon me.”

He knew that voice. It was the sound of that old lady with the treats! The nice Old Tallest!

He took a step backwards. Then another. He was never quite sure how much space he was supposed to leave between himself and a Tallest, but better not risk it.

“Excuse me,” the woman said, tapping his shoulder, “could you read this label for me?”

Zim looked left and right, making sure she meant to address him specifically. There weren’t other beings in the aisle. He leaned toward the offered up can.

"...Baby Carrots?" He asked, not sure whether or not this was a test. He resented Urth language for not being written like it was spoken. Irk didn’t have these problems!

“Ah HA! I told that old bull that I would find them perfectly well on my own!” Old Tallest adjusted her sunglasses. She reached her hand out to somewhere near her chest, frowning when she didn’t find her target. He flinched, ducking low. “Where are-?”

She reached her hand down, all the way down until he couldn’t sink any lower. Then she made a soft ‘oh’, patting his head. 

“How old are you, sweetie?” Old Tallest looked around. “Where are your parents?”

"Oh, yanno, around. But I'm plenty old enough to look after myself!" 

The Old Tallest huffed, looking unconvinced. 

“I’m short for my age,” he added, hoping it would pacify her long enough to find an escape route.

“And your name?” The creaky Tallest asked, tilting her head. Zim felt a shiver run up his spine. Something was wrong with those eyes. “Tiny Adult?”

“I am...Zim…” Zim said, starting to back away.

“Hmm...Zim. A city in Minnesota...a language code of the Mesme language...South African, perhaps?” She questioned, before wandering towards the baked goods. “Well, Zim, I think such a young and helpful child with such an interesting name should be rewarded,don’t you?”

Zim glanced at the donuts on the rack. He really wanted those donuts. And she was headed right for them. Was he going to get donuts?

“You can pick whatever you want, dear. Go on…” She said it without looking at him, waving her hand towards the food. And most importantly the donuts.

Usually, an Irken who was allowed to pick their prize from a Tallest would have asked for the least profitable thing they could find so as to appear humble in front of the Tallest and maybe win their affections. But Zim was not humble. And he was never asked to pick a prize, much less get one all to himself.

And _he wanted those donuts._

Ashamed but fueled with a greedy, childish desire for food, he dashed towards the treat to snatch one up and hug it to himself, almost as if they were the last ones on Urth. He looked towards her for approval, but her eyes were blank. She was...waiting until he gave them to her? Maybe her optics were fading…

He tip-toed over to her, offering up the box to her, “Permission to buy, M’am?”

He wasn’t sure even how to address her. He couldn’t call her his mother-unit, they had no blood relation. And he might give away his species if he called her ‘my Tallest’...

She took the box from him, smiling, “Donuts...it’s been a long time since I’ve eaten one of these. How about you grab a few more boxes and we can share?”

Zim’s eyes widened in shock. He was going to get to share with a real, actual Tallest?! But he was so short! 

“Well, go on!” She laughed, her cane nudging him. “Oh and Tiny Adult? You can call me ‘Nana’. It sounds much nicer than ‘M’am’, don’t you think?”

He’d looked up the name. She was a ‘grandmother’, a mother no longer breeding but still present. Still broody after young. Young like hi-

“Zim?” Nana’s fingers petted his lekku. “You were flying away again.” 

She checked his forehead for a fever, apparently the first thing grandmothers did in a crisis. Her tears still silently leaked down her eyes. The same tears that she cried trying to cross the street that was not accessible in any way to someone with her handicap. Silent tears. 

Strong tears.

“GIR isn’t my brother,“ Zim said. “He looks after me, I look after him.“ They all did. 

“You’ve gotten more mature...taller,” The old lady sniffs, engulfing him in yet another hug. “I know you’ve blossomed into the most beautiful and graceful mantis...but these are all superficial, my child, you have more to live for then just looks.”

“No danger of that.“ Looks weren’t what made Zim stand out, little but sure.  
“You’re sweet and intelligent and every bit as amazing as you say you are and don’t you dare ever forget that. You belong here. I want you here. You deserve to be loved and wanted. You are loved and wanted. I love you, Zimaseria Mi Cha Nuclei, as fiercely as any grandmother would love their grandchild. And I will never, ever hurt you. I promise.”

With that the dam broke. Zim’s tears burned him as they slipped down his face, his little body shaking with the hiccups of a young, frustrated child. He didn't know when the hiccups turned to desperate smeet-like mewls and he started clutching and releasing the fabric of Nana’s shirt. He didn’t know why, but it eased up his frustration for a little. His eyes slid towards the door, watching as it opened to reveal the Sergeant. It had to have been raining outside, the man’s boots stomping across the floor.

“So either you didn’t take it well or those are happy tears. Please tell me they’re happy tears.” He grumbled, bending down to scoop up his wife and grandchild (and doing his damn best to ignore the glare sent his way.)

Zim was clinging to Nana like his life depended on it, shivering like a kitty left out in the rain. Rankle sighed, “I can’t leave you two softies alone for ten minutes, can I?”

Zim made a noise between growling and sniffling.

“...Hey, Nana? About that adoption thingy…”


End file.
